Many user devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, and home automation devices, can be at least partially operated by voice commands and inquiries. Typically, the voice recognition and response capabilities are a function of the operating system that the device employs. Widely-adpoted operating systems for computing devices support varying degrees of voice control; consequently, the number of voice-controlled devices is growing, as is the number of environments in which multiple voice-controlled devices can be found.
Voice-controlled devices can monitor speech within range of the device, but do not respond to all speech. In a common implementation the device listens for a “wakeword” that is assigned to the device; when the device detects that a user spoke the wakeword, the device transitions from a passive listening state to a responsive state. In the responsive state, the device processes commands or inquiries spoken subsequent to the wakeword, and often speaks back to the user and/or retrieves or modifies data. If multiple devices that activate on the same wakeword are in audible range and detect the wakeword, they may all enter the responsive state and attempt to execute the command or respond to the inquiry. This can lead to different interpretations of the command/inquiry, unwanted repeat access to the same data, audible dissonance such as feedback and reverberation when multiple devices respond, and other problems.